Tag: focused

 

Why is it important to stop and remember what God has done in your life? There are several reasons what taking time to reflect and remember is vital to growing our faith and keeping us on course in our walk with God.

First, when we are in a low place and it seems that finding God is difficult, remembering what He has done for us in the past helps us to trust that God will meet us in our present circumstance also. (Click to tweet) If He was faithful then, He will be faithful again. In the low times, it can be easy to give into the worry, fear, despair, or depression that threatens to overwhelm us. But when we surrender our worry, fear, despair, or depression to God and rest in the arms of His love, we can be reminded of faithfulness and find strength to get through the low and know that there are wonderful things ahead for us to look forward to. Remembering what God has done for us in the past gives up hope. In Isaiah 43:1-3, God says, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pas through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” Remember a previous difficulty you face and think about how God was with you during that time and remember that He is with you now too.

Second, remembering what God has done for us in the past is an opportunity to offer Him praise. (Click to tweet) In Psalms 34:1, the psalmist wrote, “I will praise the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.” It’s easy to praise Him when we can see His mighty works active in our lives, but when we are facing difficulty or trouble it becomes easier to grumble and complain than to praise. It’s a good time to get alone with God and praise Him for what He’s done for you in the past and acknowledge that even if you can’t see it, you know He is at work in the present too. Start a list of God’s mighty works in your life so when you feel you have nothing to praise Him for, you can come back to your list and praise Him for what He’s done for you before. As you go through life, keep adding to your list.

Third, remembering the works of God in our past, keeps our minds and hearts focused on Him. (click to tweet) When life is going great, we can easily fall prey to claiming the glory for ourselves. Our focus becomes all about ourselves. It is human nature to have an “I-dependency” problem. When the promotion comes, it’s “Look what I have achieved.” When there’s a sizeable nest egg stored up, it’s, “Look how much money I have.” When we have that big new home with the fancy car, it’s “Look what I own.” Whenever our “I-dependency” problem shows up, we need to remember 1 Chronicles 29:14, “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your own hand.” We can also remember Proverbs 16:9, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.” And Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the Lord’s decree will prevail.” These verses can quickly douse our “I-dependency” problem as we realize that everything we have comes from the hand of God, that He plans our steps, and that what He decrees will happen. When we shift our focus to God and remember His works in our lives, our “I dependency” problem is changed into a God-dependency blessing. (Click to tweet) When we are depending on God instead of ourselves, we can see His blessings in our lives and give Him the glory for it as we thank Him for how he has worked in our lives. With a God-dependency focus that promotion looks more like, “Thank you Lord for this new opportunity. How can I serve in this position that you have placed me in?” When God blesses us financially, it looks more like, “Thank you Lord for your abundant provision. How can I gave out of this abundance to serve you and help others?” When God blesses with a bigger home, a God-dependent focus says, “Thank you God for this home. May you always be welcomed here and may we use this home in ways that please You.”

Fouth, as we remember and focus on what God has done for us in the past, it can help us avoid the trap of sin. I mean, have you ever tried to do something wrong while your mind was focusing on God and remembering what He’s done for you? (Click to tweet) In the Old Testament, the Israelites were carried away into captivity by the Assyrians. Why? 2 Kings 17:7 gives the reason: “And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God… and had feared other gods.” Because they forgot all the mighty works God had done for them, they forgot about God. They turned to worshiping other gods. Today, when we don’t take time to remember what God has done in our lives, we too run the risk of forgetting Him (until we’re in a crisis and need God to rescue us once again!) (Click to tweet) and we too will turn to worshipping other gods – gods such as careers, affluence, material possessions, hobbies, money, etc. Satan is constantly looking for a crack in the door so he can shove his foot in, push the door wide open, and make himself at home. Forgetting God is like swinging the door wide open and inviting Satan in. (Click to tweet). Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:3-5, “We do not wage war in an unspiritual way, since the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every high-minded thing that is raise up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ.” Taking time to remember the mighty works of God in our lives, slams the door shut on Satan and the temptations that he hurls at us. (Click to tweet)

Psalm 16:8 says, “I keep the Lord in mind always. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” Developing the habit of remembering what God has done for us, keeps our minds focused on God’s faithfulness, gives us opportunity to praise Him, help us recognize His blessings, and helps us avoid sin. Take time to remember God’s works in your life. (Click to tweet) Share in the comments something God has done for you today or in the past. Let’s make His praise glorious!

 

We have a new product line of Christian apparel and gifts available in our Teespring Store and our new Spreadshop Store. You’ll find tee shirts, hoodies, tanks, socks, leggings, tote bags, mugs, iphone cases and more. All proceeds go to the advancement of Wellspring Christian Ministries. Thank you for helping us grow!

Click here to view the Teespring store. 

Click here to view the Spreadshop Store which has a 15% discount through August 9, 2019

God, Love and Marshmallow Wars: This book contains 365 daily challenges for couples to strengthen their relationships to each other and with God. Couples will complete activities such as Scripture memory, conversation starters, relationship builders, learning about Biblical marriage, romance builders, personal reflections, and date ideas. Click here to purchase your copy. (This link will open a new widow and take you to Westbow Press’ bookstore.) It is also available at Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Nobel

 

Looking for a speaker for your next ministry event? Julia is now booking for 2019 and 2020 Christian events for women’s and couples’ ministries for both small and large events.
Book with us now.

Julia is CEO of Wellspring Christian Ministries, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people and couples develop a passionate relationship with God. A public speaker, conference trainer, event planner, and blog writer, Julia is a two-time graduate from Grand Canyon University with a bachelor in Psychology and a masters in Professional Counseling. Saved as a child and raised in church and in a Christian home and private Christian School as a Pastor’s kid, Julia has taught Sunday school, led music, played the piano, served as Children’s Director, and engaged her gifts in many other areas of church life. Previously employed with the Florida Baptist Convention, Julia organized events and led conferences for church ministry assistants.

Julia enjoys sharing her journey as a growing Christian with others looking for a deeper connection with God. Through Bible study and her own life experiences, God has given Julia a passion to help couples understand God’s design for marriage while they learn to place God first in their marriage, cultivate meaningful relationships, build intimacy, and address the tougher issues that come in every marriage so that they can experience a marriage that honors and glorifies God. Julia also loves mentoring, teaching, and working with women to help them learn to live as Godly women.

With her history and experience growing up in both small and large churches, Julia enjoys bringing top level quality events to churches of all sizes. Her father largely pastored small churches and therefore she understands that these vital parts of the believing community need to be good stewards of the resources God provides them with. This knowledge inspires her passion for being available with a fresh perspective for those who want to provide their congregations with meaningful spiritual growth opportunities.

To request more information or a booking, 
fill out the online form here.

Or call us at 904.524.8073